Sacrifice of Olympus
by GACarson
Summary: the story is set about 20 years after the giant war, where some evil demigods get ahold of the Ophiotaurus and this new group of heroes has to get it back. characters from the book pop up and help the heroes out but they aren't the main characters.
1. Chapter 1

sacrifice of Olympus

prologue

"where is it!?" roared Zeus.

hades and Poseidon were the only ones in the throne room, bickering as usual. they glanced up at Zeus, unsurprised by his temper and both asked "what do you need, little brother?"

usually the little brother comment would through Zeus completely off, but Zeus was un deterred.

"you know what I speak of! only you two would be so insolent as to steal it! which of you took the Ophiotaurus!?

both Poseidon and hades looked at each other and paled.

Poseidon, speaking slowly, said, "brother, i swear on the river Styx-"

"as do I," interrupted hades.

that I did not take the Ophiotaurus," finished Poseidon.

Zeus looked at them both pleadingly, almost begging for them to admit to the deed.

"gather the council," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "we must find the culprit. do not tell the minor gods. they sided with the titans and giants before, they may still betray us."

as Zeus left to gather the council, the reality of what just happened set in. hades got up and started pacing the throne room. Poseidon sat there and began to speak.

"who could have done this? we've had peace for so many years, why now? will Olympus fall?

hades barely heard him, he was deep in thought. after several agonizing minutes of sandals on marble, he spoke.

"it is possible that we could still reclaim the creature. they have not attacked yet. we also do not know what will happen should the entrails be sacrificed. it states that that person would be given the power to destroy the gods. that does not mean their victory will be automatic."

"but if it does!?" thundered Poseidon, finally falling into panic. "what then!? we will be cast into Tartarus, and I have no doubt our dearest father will be waiting, along with our friends the giants!"

"do you think i don't know that?" retorted hades, surprisingly calm. "I have already seen the insides of Kronos, I do not need to see Tartarus too."

Zeus re-entered the room with the rest of the 12 Olympians. Poseidon and hades took their seats, both pondering how a reunion with their father would go.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't remember a lot of the stuff i did during my days but I remember this one thing went through my head a lot: my life sucks.

the reason I don't remember much is because from ages 8 to 12, my brain was still being affected by the mist. what is the mist? the mist is the veil that hides the natural world from the supernatural. I was going through that awkward transition from one world to the other. I just didn't know it yet.

my name is Brandon, and all this shit started one day when I was taking a long cut home from Stevens elementary school. I had missed the bus in detention and had to walk home. I lived in Seattle, WA, on Yesler and 23rd avenue, and all I could think about how much I didn't want to go home and see my mom on the floor, still hung over from partying. as my house came into view, it looked even trashier then usual. beer bottles were strewn about the yard and the trash can was on its side, spilling trash onto the street. toilet paper was strung across our house like cheap streamers.

"oh boy mom got the christmas decorations out," I thought sarcastically as I waited for the light to change. I just kept staring at the house growing more and more embarrassed that it was mine. soon my embarrassment turned to anger at my mom, but as I crossed the street, a funny feeling settled over me. the closer I looked at it, the more it looked like a break-in. the door was off its hinges and several windows had been broken. there was burn marks on the porch and the door.

as I stepped inside, trying not to make noise, a horrible stench crept into my nose. I had never smelled anything quite like it before. as I crept across the carpeted living room to the basement door, I noticed that small a small fire had erupted on the carpet. I took a water bottle out of my backpack and doused the flames. I could still smell the horrible stench, but now I was starting to hear something from the basement. someone was making a ripping, smacking noise, like a fat guy with a beard eating baby back ribs. it turns out I wasn't far off.

I began to slowly make my way downstairs, wondering whether I'd find some thieves or my mom down there and whether I'd want the latter or the former. in retrospect, I definitely would have taken the latter.


	3. Chapter 3

as I reached the bottom of the stairs, I peered around the corner and into the basement. clothes and beer bottles were strewn across the ground. cigarette butts littered the floor and an empty carton of cigarettes sat next to a broken washing machine and dryer in the corner. another thing sitting next to the washing machine was a gigantic man with his back to me. he was really digging into whatever he had. he talked in between bites, spitting chunks of a gooey black substance on the dryer.

"stoopid daughter of dove," he mumbled to himself. "learns to paint face, not to fight. now Cacus feasts on her flesh and leave her bones to the crows!"

my stomach turned in knots as I realized what was happening. he was eating a burnt human corpse. that was what I smelled when I walked in the house and it didn't take a genius to figure out whose corpse it was. I was never going to see my moms drunk-ass face again.

while I stared at the blackened chunks of flesh sliding down the dryer, the man looked up and sniffed the air. he let out a low guttural growl and looked right at me.

his eyes were bloodshot and crazy, and his mouth dripped with blood and human tissue. he gave me a maniacal grin, showing off gigantic set of tombstone like, yellow teeth, covered in blood.

"Cacus was waiting for you, half-blood. Cacus will have you for dessert!"

he began exhaling through his nose, and i barely had time to slam the door and dash up the stairs before the door got blown off its hinges by a fireball.

now the scorch marks made sense.

I wasted no time. I reached into the top cupboard and grabbed the can where my mom kept her gambling money, right next to the cocaine.

the world was gonna miss that lady.

I heard Cacus or whatever running upstairs but I was already out the back door. I dashed across the backyard and picked up a beer bottle. I scrambled over the fence and landed in the neighbor's yard.

when I turned around he was walking across the lawn. he tried to climb the fence but the man was so enormous that he was about as tall as our 7 foot fence. when his head peeked above the top I let loose the bottle I grabbed. it hit him right in the eye. he collapsed to the ground, and I stood there for a moment, kind of proud of myself. then he let lose his fire breath and melted the fence.

after that I just ran.

I eventually made my way to the Garfield high school playground when I stopped to breathe by the slide. I looked around, hoping I'd lost him. the only people I saw in front of me were to little girls on the swings. no one was on the baseball field, and a car drifted by, the driver glancing lazily at the road. birds chirped on the electric wires.

then I heard a sharp intake of breath behind me.

I dove to the side while Cacus' molten breath melted the slide. the two little girls on the swing ran away shrieking about the devil burning the playground. I tried to run away again, but Cacus used his fire breath to trap me by the swings. he lumbered towards me happily, mumbling like a lunatic.

"Cacus kill two half-bloods in two days. second half-blood is graceus, yes he is. graceus camp in east, romans is west, yep yep."

with fire behind me and a babbling monster in front of me, I was really considering the fire, but then my body said, "fuck that man, lets charge em'!"

the rest was a blur. I dove under the giants widespread legs and grabbed the swing next to me. Cacus turned and tried to grab me but I was already running around him, wrapping his neck with the chains. I pinned him against the support beam and pulled with all my might. before his eyes popped out he managed two last words:  
"not again!"

I stood there for a while, looking at the pile of dust his body had turned into, surrounded by flames.

then I ran.  
I ran and ran and ran.


	4. Chapter 4

once I started walking with Tyson to a van a few blocks back that belonged to some strawberry company. it's a shame I never had a mom to warn me not to get into vans with strangers. we drove for a while in awkward silence. I tried to read the signs we passed but they went by before my dyslexia could make them out. we crossed the Queensboro bridge and started driving up long island. when I went to put my headphones in, Tyson interrupted.

"you should not use that. it attracts monsters," he stated." Tyson does not want to have to fight my way to camp."

"well that explains a lot," I muttered. "are you saying I can't listen to music anymore?"

"no, leo invented a new microchip that wont attract monsters. we will give you one at camp."

"what are all these monsters anyway? why can't anyone but me see them, and why do they always attack me?"

"when we get to camp, Chiron will tell you." and with that, he settled back into his uncomfortable silence.

I was in the back, seething. I don't know who I was mad at but I thought everyone should start on an even playing field. it wasn't fair that I had to live on the opposite side of the country from the safest place for people like me, not knowing who I was, or why everything that moved seemed to want me dead. it wasn't fair. it wasn't just.

after about twenty minutes of driving, we pulled to the side of the road. there wasn't anything here, just a grassy hill with a pine tree growing out of the top. some sort of blanket was draped across one of the lower branches like it was hanging out to dry. some sort of rope was coiled around the bottom.

as me and Tyson walked up the hill towards the pine tree, he thought he should break the silence.

"what is your name?" he asked.

"uh, Brandon," I replied slowly.

"where are you from?"

"Seattle."

"Seattle is nice," he said. "one of Hephaestus' forges is near there."

I had no idea what he was talking about, but I wasn't really listening. I was staring at the rope at the base of the tree. one moment it was rope, next it was a huge dragon, its body wrapped around the trunk of the tree.

"dude, that's a fucking dragon!" I yelled at Tyson. I slipped my knife and spray paint bottle into my hands. Tyson just chuckled.

"what are you planning to do with those?" he asked, amused. "it is okay, the dragon will not attack you. it only guards the golden fleece," he said, pointing at the fabric draped over the lower branch.

I stared at the dragon, only about ten feet away from me now. I put my weapons away, also wondering what I was planning to have done with a knife and spray can against a dragon. then my gaze moved to the rest of the valley.

near the hill we were standing on was a large blue house, with volleyball courts strewn about in the shadow of the large blue house. to the right of the volleyball court was a large building with smokestacks rising from the roof. they puffed smoke up into the air. the constant clanging of metal on metal rang out of the building, the sound carrying all the way up to our vantage point on the hill.

beyond those buildings was a river that ran into a lake, and then pour out into the ocean. beyond that river was a cluster of 30 or so cabins, all with different designs and decorations. to the left of that was a large greek looking building with two spears over the entrance. even further beyond that were stables with horses that had wings.

"dude do those horses have wings?" I asked incredulously.

he frowned and looked at the stables. "yes, they're Pegasus, but how did you see the wings? Tyson can barely make out the pony shapes in the stables."

"I dunno," I said sheepishly. "I was just, you know, looking..." I trailed of stupidly.

"it doesn't matter," he declared. "we should go to the mess hall, everyone's eating dinner."

I followed Tyson and as we walked I continued to check out the camp. beyond the cabins was a large forest with a different little creek running through it. when we got to the beach I saw a large theater and a massive climbing wall with lots of holes where liquid could pour out. near there was a large greek looking structure. it looked like that famous temple for Athena without a roof. about 200 kids from 8 to 20 were eating and talking to each other happily. everything quieted down a little when me and Tyson stepped into the light of the brasier.

a bearded man looked at Tyson expectantly while a fat man in a leopard pattern jogging suit just stared at his diet coke angrily. I stared wide-eyed at the food whisking around in the air, without anything holding it up.

then Tyson began to speak to the man sitting at the head table, and people quieted down to listen in.

"new recruit Chiron," said Tyson in a matter-of-fact way. "from Seattle."

"claimed, undetermined, or unknowing?" the man named Chiron asked.

"he is unknowing."

alright then, he will need to be informed! which cabins turn is it to give the tour? ah yes, Poseidon! your turn!

everyone glanced at a table with just two people at it, a guy and a girl. they both had jet black hair, sort of like mine. the guy was at least 35 and the girl was probably 13. they both wore orange t-shirts. actually, everyone was wearing one now that I looked around.

without looking up, the older guy said, "honey its your turn. get on it."

the girl just groaned and said, "dad! I'm eating! you do it!"

he needs to be told by someone his age, but don't worry, I'll eat for you," her dad said jokingly, starting to pick food off her plate.

she whisked her plate away before he could take anymore, and started walking towards me, glaring the whole time.

"hi uncle Tyson," she said, still annoyed.

"Tyson brought presents from the forges," he said, grinning.

"lemme see!" the girl said excitedly, forgetting her anger.

"after the tour," said Tyson.

she turned sulky again, being reminded of her job.

"fine," she growled angrily then turned her dark gray eyes on me. "come on," she turned and walked away. I followed, not curious about the camp or monsters, anymore, just how she could have a cyclopes for an uncle.


	5. Chapter 5

"how is he your uncle?" I asked, confused.

she rolled her eyes, "he's my dads brother of course."

"your dads a cyclopes?" I asked. as soon as I said that I felt stupid. I had already seen her dad, with no less than two, count 'em, two eyes.

"no moron, they're related on the godly side."

"woah, what do ya mean, godly side?"

"it means their dad is a god. Poseidon, to be specific."

"who's Poseidon?" I asked, once again feeling stupid.

"didn't you learn about this in school? he's the greek god of the water. they exist by the way, but you might be able to guess that, if you're not a dumbass."

"I haven't gone to school since I was 8."

"really? lucky you. you'll need to take a mythology class here then. you'll need some training as well and we'll need to find out your godly parent is-"

"slow the hell down! I said angrily. I didn't think running from monsters was very fun, and was gonna tell her that but the last thing she said really freaked me out. "you're tellin' me that I have a parent who's a god?"

"yep"

"and that's why monsters chase me?"

"yep"

"and these gods are the greek gods from ancient times?"

"well there's romans too but I'll explain later..."

"no fuck that, I'm calling Bullshit. I didn't spend 4 years crossing the country to be punked, I can't believe it..."

I rambled on for about a minute until I looked up and saw her staring at me, bored, eating a brisket off her plate. then I said 2 words that defeated almost any religious whacko out there:

"prove it."

she rolled her eyes and walked over to the creek.

"watch this shit."

she held her hand over the water, concentrated for a minute, and then to my complete shock, a ball of water the size of a basketball made its way out of the water rose out from the creek. she began to separate it into 3 baseball sized balls of water and moved them around like she was juggling. she raised her eyebrow at my shocked face. then she dumped the water back in the river.

"come on, I'll show you the armory and we can try you out with weapons. that might help you find out who your parent is. did you know your mortal parent?"

"yeah, she was a woman," I said, understanding where she was going with this. "so my godly parent is a guy?"

"most likely."

"and what'll happen when I'm claimed?"

"you'll be assigned to your godly parents cabin and a schedule will be designed to meet your skills. right now, well set you up with the basic training package."

"can I ask you a question?"

"what?"

"whats your name?"

she made a face like she totally forgot introductions, then replied. "Andromeda. Andromeda Jackson. whats yours?"

"Brandon. Brandon Tanaka."

"huh. anyways, this is the armory. grab some shit that feels right and well test it out in the arena."

I grabbed two swords that felt okay, a bow and some knives. we walked to the arena, Andromeda telling me about everything that I could do here. apparently I could take monster specialty classes, craft your own weapons, airborne horseback riding, and canoeing. you know, all the stuff you look for in a summer camp.

when we got to the arena, she set up a dummy in the middle of the arena and told me to hack at it. that was the most embarrassing thing I've ever done. I swung the sword down to hit the dummy where the neck meets the shoulder. I missed and fell head over heels to the ground. Andromeda doubled over laughing. she joined me on the ground because she was to weak to stand up.

the knives were less embarrassing. she told me that my slashes were well coordinated, and when I threw, I always hit the target. we put those to the side, and I figured I'd come back to them.

then I tried archery. I pulled back the string and it all felt natural. before I knew it, I had shot two arrows in rapid succession, the first one striking the bullseye dead on and the second one splitting the first in two. above the target, a little image of a lyre appeared, surrounded by two doves.

"well the doves are a little over the top," said Andromeda like this happened everyday. "but it is clear. you are the son of Apollo!"

at that moment, a different guy walked into the arena. he was tall with black skin and dreadlocks in his hair. he wore a jumpsuit, like a car mechanic or something. over it, he had a brown leather apron with scorch marks covering it. his pockets were stuffed with tools and under the leather aprons chest pocket, a bronze colored hammer was emblazoned over his heart.

she introduced us in a bored, monotonous voice. "Brandon, this is Earl driver. earl, Brandon. earl is a son of Hephaestus, god of the forges and fire. Brandon is a new son of Apollo."

"nice to meet you," earl said. "you need any new gear, you come to me. I'll get it done for a reasonable price"

I searched his face for a teasing smile and found none.

he turned to speak to Andromeda, grinning, "you missed capture the flag Andromeda. without you, we kicked your teams ass."

"aww, fuck me!" she yelled, just now looking at the clock. "how the fuck did I miss that! I was so looking forward to soaking your asses!"

"you must of lost track of time because I'm just to damn funny," I jokingly remarked.

"oh yeah, Andromeda," said Earl, getting in on the joke. "you kept this hunk to yourself all evening? the other girls will be jealous!"

her face turned bright red. "shut up!" she told Earl. then she rounded on me. "and you! you can just... just..." she struggled to find the swear words to express her emotions.

"look at that! your speechless around me!"

her face turned a deeper shade of red. "shut up both of you!" she seethed, and then she stormed out of the arena. me and Earl just sat there laughing our asses off.

"dude you should come see the forges, we have a ton of shit you'd love."

"alright man, lead the way."

Earl took me around the forges showing me all the cool stuff and I gotta say, it was pretty damn impressive. they had every type of weapon you could imagine, from a huge rocket launcher that shot warheads loaded with greek fire to a wooden board with a celestial bronze nail through it.

suddenly, I had a thought. "if this is where all the hi-tech shit is, can I get this thing monster-proofed?" I swung my backpack off my shoulder, reached in and produced my iPod.

he nodded and gestured towards his workbench. "yeah come on over here. I just need to replace the microchip. it's really not that hard." he rummaged around in a cupboard above his desk and pulled out a box. he opened it and pulled out a little bronze microchip. he unscrewed the casing popped out the original chip and threw it in the forge. then he popped in the new chip and re-screwed the case on. then he handed back the iPod.

"now its safe. its got oTunes on it, so you can get every song for free. it also has a GPS so you can locate yourself on a map and..." he turned on the screen and pointed at a new option on it that read SOS. "hit that and you can summon people from camp, no iris message needed. try not to rely on it though. we can only get there so quick."

after I made him tell me what an iris message was, I looked down at my new iPod. now it had every System of a Down album, plus Rage Against the Machine, Tenacious D and many more.

earls startled yelp interrupted me. I looked up at him and saw he was looking at a clock, except this one had symbols of the 12 olympian gods instead of numbers. clever.

"dude, we should go to sleep, its fuckin' late!" he said.

I looked around at the workshop and realized we were the only ones there. I looked back up at the clock. it was a quarter past a lightning bolt. (1:15)

I hurriedly said goodbye and thanked him, then ran over to the cluster of cabins. I found one that had a big number seven and a golden lyre over the door. I walked in and found a bunk that had its blankets folded at the base of the bed, so I assumed no one slept there. I dropped my back pack next to my new bed, took off my shoes and passed out on my bed.


End file.
